Anemia Saint Joseph MO

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Anemia

Blood is the life-maintaining fluid that circulates through the body's heart, arteries, veins, and capillaries. It carries away waste matter and carbon dioxide, and brings nourishment, electrolytes, hormones, vitamins, antibodies, heat, and oxygen to the tissues.

What is anemia?

Anemia is a condition of too few red blood cells, or a lowered ability of the red blood cells to carry oxygen or iron. Tissue enzymes dependent on iron can affect cell function in nerves and muscles. The fetus is dependent on the mother’s blood and anemia may be associated with poor fetal growth, preterm birth, and low birth weight.

What are the most common types of anemias to occur during pregnancy?

There are several types of anemias that may occur in pregnancy. These include:

anemia of pregnancyIn pregnancy, a woman’s blood volume increases by as much as 50 percent. This causes the concentration of red blood cells in her body to become diluted. This is sometimes called anemia of pregnancy and is not considered abnormal unless the levels fall too low.

iron deficiency anemiaIron is an important nutrient for the formation of red blood cells. During pregnancy, the fetus uses iron from the mother’s red blood cells for growth and development, especially in the last three months of pregnancy. If a mother has excess iron stored in her bone marrow before she becomes pregnant, she can use those stores during pregnancy to help meet her baby’s needs. Women who do not have adequate iron stores can develop iron deficiency anemia. This is the most common type of anemia in pregnancy. It is caused by a lack of iron in the blood, which is necessary to make hemoglobin - the part of blood that distributes oxygen from the lungs to tissues in the body. Good nutrition before becoming pregnant is important to help build up these stores and prevent iron deficiency anemia.

vitamin B12 deficiencyVitamin B12 is important in forming red blood cells and in protein synthesis. Women who are vegans (who eat no animal products) are most likely to develop vitamin B12 deficiency. Including animal foods in the diet such as milk, cheese, yogurt meats, eggs, and poultry can prevent vitamin B12 deficiency. Strict vegans may receive supplemental vitamin B12 by injection during pregnancy.

blood loss Blood loss at delivery and postpartum (after delivery) can also cause anemia. The average blood loss with a vaginal birth is about 500 milliliters, and about 1,000 milliliters with a cesarean delivery. Adequate iron stores can help a woman replace lost red blood cells.

folate deficiency Folate, also called folic acid, is a B-vitamin that works with iron to help with cell growth. Folate deficiency in pregnancy is often associated with iron deficiency since both folic acid and iron are found in the same types of foods. Research shows that folic acid may help red...

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